Opposing a 2.3 Billion Dollar Counterfeit Scheme

There is real hope for those struggling with identity, and our tax dollars will have no part in providing a counterfeit answer that causes irreversible harm.

The fast growing 2.3 billion dollar so-called “sex reassignment” industry is built on the false promise that healing can be artificially manufactured. Transcribed here are the closing remarks I gave yesterday as the floor sponsor of House Bill 668, “No Public Funds for Gender Transition”. You can also watch them on this YouTube link.

Fellow senators, I appreciate the debate; I can honestly say that I think that what we all have in common is a desire for healing.

Senators, healing is a hard word.

We live in a broken world, full of confusion, suffering, and social pressure. This reality is apparent to any person, powerful or weak, calm or anxious, faithful or doubtful. The question is how we choose to respond.

Responding to the brokenness of the world requires humility, compassion, and wisdom. We don’t have enough of these things by ourselves, and it is only by the power of our Creator that healing is truly enabled. The answer to our affliction will not be contrived, because wholeness is given, not manufactured.

Senators, There is an industry out there, though, which seeks to answer the pain of our brothers and sisters with affirmation and by trying to conform the body to another model. There is often some compassion behind these attempts, but compassion only goes so far when it’s not anchored in truth.

The truth is that we have been fearfully and wonderfully created, purposefully, male or female, and no attempts to simulate the contrary of how we were created will provide the purposefulness that we need and desire. The truth is that while cross-sex hormones can simulate secondary sex characteristics of the opposite sex, and while healthy organs can be removed and new structures constructed, the wonderful gift of healthy sexual function cannot be created in this way, and these irreversible treatments in reality often lead to lifelong sexual dysfunction, dependency, and sterility. There are so many stories of patients with lifelong open wounds that continually get infected. We have seen how this swiftly-growing multi-billion dollar industry has been so quick to push hormone treatments on our children, severely misrepresent side effects, and make weakly-evidenced claims about suicide rates. Healing is far away from the outcomes of this industry, and we cannot afford to support it.

Authority has a greater responsibility not to endorse pseudoscience and irreversible harm. When a practice is endorsed by authority, we tend to be attuned to its sway. If the government continues to send our tax dollars toward false answers to real questions, we do a terrible disservice to our citizens.

Senators, I am asking for your vote to separate this industry from the scope of our tax dollars.

Healing is possible, but it is not the role of government to do it for us. When it tries, it tends to do a pretty terrible job. Healing happens in relationships, in community, in honesty, and in humility. Healing is the role of God.

Mr. President, Debate is closed.

After these remarks, House Bill 668 passed 26-8! Having previously passed the House, it is on its way to the Governor. This is a sign of hope for our state. Please pray for those struggling with identity, for in the Lord there is always hope.

In His Service,

Ben Toews

Idaho State Senator – District 4